Chris Dodson Rallies to Second Victory in a Row at Southside Speedway

Midlothian, VA ­– Mother Nature tried to play the spoiler this weekend dumping plenty of water over Southside Speedway just as practice got underway. Luckily, track drying operations only took about an hour and racing was underway just past eight o’clock. Chris Dodson, Southside Speedway track champ, set the fastest time earlier in the afternoon with a time of 14.643 second lap, or 81.868 MPH, around the .333 mile track. However, due to the pesky invert, Dodson drew a number two and would swap places with Brad Davis (14.723).

When it was time to drop the green flag, Davis held the advantage over Dodson running the low groove and would lead lap one. Dodson would hang out topside for just a couple laps before falling in line behind Davis and just in front of Fernandez. Some good racing just a few cars behind them for the top five spot. Raymond Pittman and Kyle Wood would battle door to door for just a couple laps before Kyle fell in line behind him to run in sixth, pretty sure looking to save some tires.

Almost had a bit of an interesting moment up front for the leaders approaching slower traffic. Dodson, who was not really battling for the lead, did get slowed up and lost some distance to the leader, but was able to regroup and reel Davis back in. It was just past halfway when lap traffic actually played in Dodson’s favor, using the slower car of Payne, Dodson was able to get around Brad Davis out of turn two. The lap car also helped Steve Zuskin, who had been running fourth behind Fernandez to catch the rear bumper of the #02. The two would battle door to door coming to the closing laps with Fernandez hanging onto the third spot by the checkered.

Once Dodson got into clean air it was about all she wrote for the final half of the race – building up to about a half straightaway lead. Brad Davis would cross the line second; Fernandez did a great job and was able to hold off Zuskin for third. Kyle Wood, who pulls double duty in the Modified division, was able to save enough tires to get around Pittman – bringing Sonny Allen with him – to grab the final top five spot.

“The car was good tonight,” Dodson said in victory lane. “I was quite content riding behind Davis there to be honest. I wasn’t going to hit him or anything, he is a great guy. I was just getting hot there and the car started to over heat so I had to get around him. The track was a little bit wet there and we got into once but were okay.” Because of Dodson’s second win in a row he will have to start at the rear of the field regardless of his qualifying position.